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Team Building through the Power of PlayThu, 21 Mar 2019 20:33:03 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.4https://www.teambonding.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cropped-tb-favicon-32x32.pngTeamBondinghttps://www.teambonding.com
3232Make Your Own Office Scavenger Hunt | 7 Simple Tipshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/syWRux1prwc/
https://www.teambonding.com/spring-office-scavenger-hunt/#respondFri, 01 Mar 2019 15:12:42 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=17860Spring is right around the corner, and with it comes chocolate bunnies and egg hunts. But why should the kids have all the fun? A corporate scavenger hunt is easy to set up and can range from a simple list of things you have around the office, to very elaborate and creative endeavors. The person or team with the most points wins! Here are seven simple tips for making your own DIY office scavenger hunt!

]]>Spring is right around the corner, and with it comes chocolate bunnies and egg hunts. But why should the kids have all the fun? A corporate scavenger hunt is easy to set up and can range from a simple list of things you have around the office, to very elaborate and creative endeavors. The person or team with the most points wins! Here are seven simple tips for making your own DIY office scavenger hunt!

#1 The Longer, The Better

Writing up a list is the hardest part of a scavenger hunt. It might be tempting to go easy and do a shorter list, but it’s more fun for the participants if they have more items to choose from. Consider giving list items different point values. Harder items, or items that might require being done outside the office, can be worth more points. Simpler items are more abundant, but worth fewer points. Themed lists can be fun, and help you generate ideas.

#2 Set A Time

The complexity of your scavenger hunt should be dictated by how long you plan to give your players to complete it. A simple hunt that you’re giving players two or three hours to complete should use things found in the office. However, if you spread your hunt out over a couple of days, you open up the option of more complex items which require players to participate outside of the office.

#3 Team Up

Scavenger hunts, especially the more complicated ones, are more fun with more people. Split your office up into teams of 4-5, and let them work together to complete your scavenger list. You can make items on your list that specifically require team work, such as “a picture of the whole team Kung-Fu Fighting” or “at least 5 different shoes.”

#4 Get Messy!

There’s nothing wrong with challenging your teams to a little creative mess. You can include items on your scavenger list such as “something you made” or “something with glitter or paint on it.”

#5 Take A Pic

Smart phones make photo scavenger hunts easy! This style is particularly good if you’re doing a longer hunt or a more complex list. Rather than bringing in physical items, players take pictures of specific places, scenarios or actions described on the list. You can also use photos to add some excitement on a mostly item based list. The photos will make a great office scrap book or annual slide show!

#6 Make it Personal

When composing your list, help your team members to get to know each other a little better by making a couple of the items on your scavenger hunt list personal. For example, items like “knick-knack from a co-worker’s desk” or “someone else’s favorite book” encourage players to engage with each other’s interests.

#7 Win a Prize

You’re more likely to engage players if there’s more up for grabs than bragging rights. Even something small like a $10 gift card for coffee can serve to motivate people to try harder. Just remember if you’re dividing your players into teams that the prize can be split among them.

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/spring-office-scavenger-hunt/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/spring-office-scavenger-hunt/TeamBonding and Catalyst Global Announce Partnershiphttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/ElHAJNW18EM/
https://www.teambonding.com/teambonding-catalyst-global-partnership/#respondMon, 25 Feb 2019 17:05:20 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=31036We’re thrilled to announce our new strategic partnership with Catalyst Global. Catalyst Global is an international network of 47 team building partners spanning 90 countries. TeamBonding and Catalyst Global were both established over 25 years ago and have been leaders in the team building industry since. Through this partnership, TeamBonding and Catalyst Global will strive to increase the availability of team building resources, services and events.

]]>We’re thrilled to announce our new strategic partnership with Catalyst Global. Catalyst Global is an international network of 47 team building partners spanning 90 countries. TeamBonding and Catalyst Global were both established over 25 years ago and have been leaders in the team building industry since. Through this partnership, TeamBonding and Catalyst Global will strive to increase the availability of team building resources, services and events.

“Catalyst is delighted to welcome TeamBonding under the stewardship of David Goldstein to our global network of team building providers. The Catalyst Team Building Network is built on the strength of the open sharing of information between partners. TeamBonding with their long history in team building and knowledge of the local market in the USA will be a welcome addition to the group. TeamBonding will soon launch Catalyst Global’s new technology products including VR program The Infinite Loop and our newly launched Go Team based escape game, Escape the Maze to their clients in America.” – Guy Baker, CEO Catalyst Global

Infinite Loop VR Program

The Infinite Loop VR team building program is pushing the boundaries of how technology is incorporated into team building programs. In Infinite Loop, a team of players exchange roles in the real world to save a young man trapped in the virtual world. The more precise the player in the virtual world is in describing the problem, the faster the teammates in the real world find the solution. We’re excited to be rolling out new programs like Infinite Loop into our offering of premium team building events. Witness Infinite Loop VR in the video below!

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/teambonding-catalyst-global-partnership/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/teambonding-catalyst-global-partnership/Learn How to Communicate Effectively to Improve Teamworkhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/JJIApRHcfRQ/
https://www.teambonding.com/how-to-communicate-effectively/#respondMon, 18 Feb 2019 19:49:45 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=9320Communication affects teamwork in positive and negative ways. The quantity and quality of communication within a team and from leadership affects teamwork.

The more collaboration your projects require the more assertiveand intentional your communication should be. Every member of the team needs to take the initiative to communicate. When a team is not actively communicating, their work is at stake. It’s important for everyone to learn how to communicate effectively in order to work effectively.

]]>Communication affects teamwork in positive and negative ways. The quantity and quality of communication within a team and from leadership affects teamwork.

The more collaboration your projects require the more assertiveand intentional your communication should be. Every member of the team needs to take the initiative to communicate. When a team is not actively communicating, their work is at stake. It’s important for everyone to learn how to communicate effectively in order to work effectively.

(1) Listen

A good speaker is a good listener. Learning how to communicate more effectively also means taking more notice. It’s important to begin and end any form of communication with listening. This doesn’t mean you should ask an endless string of questions, but be sure that you’re taking the time to truly understand what other people are saying and what they mean.

Good listening skills will help you engage in communication regarding what the other person is speaking about. Avoid the impulse to listen only for the end of their sentence so that you can blurt out your thoughts and ideas. Don’t interrupt or talk over other people because this can make them feel insignificant, unheard and could lead to other misunderstandings.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from others to make sure that you were understood.

(2) Say What You Mean

Is your intention to place blame? Or, get to the bottom of an issue? Chances are, you want information about what is working and what isn’t working. However, you may be using language that feels critical and seems like a verbal attack. This will hurt relationships within your team and leave you completely uninformed.

Work situations can get emotional, which can influence your clarity. Stay on topic, use the correct words and enunciate. If you’re not sure of the meaning of a word, don’t use it. When you use the wrong words, you will not be understood and people will doubt your competency the more it happens.

Avoid mixed messages. If you need more time to complete a thought before communicating about your ideas, take it. Schedule a time for your conversation later in the day or week. Make eye contact – which conveys truth and honor – and use intentional gestures. You can send the wrong message through body language or tone, which defeats the purpose of your attempt to communicate. This is especially important when discussing anything emotional.

(3) Practice

There are some additional tactics that you can practice within conversations or on your own:

Slow down – don’t speak just to respond too quickly.

Speak clearly and don’t mumble.

Use appropriate volume.

Write things down.

Close the loop – is the conversation finished?

Good teamwork starts with a shared understanding of its importance. Communication bridges teams together and needs to be practiced to ensure a team is working smoothly and efficiently.

]]>If you stop and think about it, Disney movies actually teach valuable lessons about the power of encouragement, teamwork and developing leadership skills.

Many of these qualities are essential to young children, but also highlight some of the most important qualities of both a leader and a successful team.

5 Disney Movies that exhibit leadership qualities and characteristics

1. Cinderella – Dress Making Scene

In this clip, Cinderella’s clan of critters joins forces to cheer up an overworked and under the weather Cinderella. Together they were able to flawlessly tailor a beautiful dress that enabled Cinderella to go to the ball and meet her prince. Because Cinderella is a kind and caring leader, her team is willing to go through hoops and bounds to make her happy.

At work, if you ever notice that one of your co-workers is feeling overwhelmed or a little blue, maybe consider getting the office together to help cheer them up. It doesn’t have to be something as grand as dress tailoring, but maybe a chocolate bar or a simple email of encouragement will do.

2. Mulan – “I’ll Make a Man out of You”

If anyone ever needs a pep talk – I’m telling ya this would be one of the first resources I consult. Believe it or not, this song was on my high school soccer team’s pregame playlist.

“I’ll Make a Man Out of You” demonstrates a strong portrayal of leadership. Captain of the Imperial Army, Li Shang, instills a sense of unity into his group of misfits. As you’ll notice at the beginning of the clip, the recruits can barely get along or get out of their way. However, thanks to Shang’s leadership skills, he can create a band of trained and focused brothers.

If ever you feel that your office is in a bit of dishevelment, be a leader like Shang and find a way to glue the pieces back together. TeamBonding’s programs are a great way to build or maintain, even fix, relationships.

3. The Lion King – Rafiki, Simba & Mufasa

Rafiki is one of Disney’s greatest mentors. Seriously. He always asks all of the right questions. Not only that, but he is also able to lead Simba to find his father and the answers Simba has been missing.

If there is someone new to your company, be sure to take on the role of Rafiki and help this person gain comfort and confidence within the office. Almost everyone is nervous on their first day, if not their first month, so use our icebreakers to help this person find their mold and become part of the team.

4. Toy Story 2 – Crossing the Road

Sometimes it takes a little strategy, creativity, and influential leadership to get from one point to another, whether it is crossing the street or changing an aspect of your company.

In this clip, Buzz takes on the leadership role as he guides his fellow toys across a busy street. If you were to take on Buzz’s role, be sure not to leave behind quite so much destruction in your path.

5. Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans truly is the quintessential team building movie, if there ever was one. There are no number of leadership movie clips that will do it justice. You just have to watch (and watch and watch) and know the whole movie to understand the complete transformation made by this high school football team in the early 70s.

If you feel like your team needs a reminder of how to overcome obstacles and strive towards victory, make them watch Remember the Titans as “homework.” This movie will remind everyone how powerful a team can really be.

Can you think of any movies that highlight leadership characteristics that we should add to the list?

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/disney-leadership-qualities/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/disney-leadership-qualities/Out of Sight, Out of Mind? 5 Virtual Team Building Activities That Workhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/Dljmb3Ud7aM/
Sat, 09 Feb 2019 15:35:02 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=6435It’s one thing to create an atmosphere of trust and a feeling of camaraderie between employees when they’re all in the same building 40 or so hours a week.

]]>It’s one thing to create an atmosphere of trust and a feeling of camaraderie between employees when they’re all in the same building 40 or so hours a week.

But, what about when some or all of you work remotely, and rarely (if ever!) see your coworkers? How can you build and maintain a viable professional and personal relationship online? Here are 5 virtual team building activities for bringing your remote team together. They make the seemingly impossible task of getting and keeping remote employees bonded and easier to reach.

1) Don’t cut the Chit-Chat

When working remotely, team members don’t have a chance to make small talk with their neighbor in the next cubicle or discuss weekend plans by the coffeemaker. It’s that kind of personal chit-chat, however, that helps employees relate to each other.

Remote teams have to build time for small talk into group meetings. Try to spend a couple minutes at the start of each meeting discussing personal updates. Ask that team members send in recent photos of themselves and have them assembled into a slide show to view at the meeting.

Take it a step further and use a video conferencing system like Skype, then ask 1-2 questions about their week round-robin style. Being able to see each other makes it feel a little more personal and less distant.

2) Reply All

Send out an email to the group with an icebreaker question. Ask everyone to respond to the question via email and “reply all” so that everyone gets to know each other a bit more.

The questions are up to you—they may be personal (“where do you hope to be in ten years?”), just for fun (“if you could take a vacation anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?”), or related to the type of work the group is doing.

Also be sure to reply all to messages sent to groups in general, unless there’s a need to take your virtual conversations “offline.”

3) Let the Games Begin

Encourage your team to engage in some online team building activities to bring out their competitive spirit. Playing together will help create a rapport that will be useful later on when there’s work to be done.

4) All for One, and (a cup of) Joe for All!

With the wide availability of WiFi connection these days, it has become easier to get team members to connect online outside of their offices or homes. Employees that work in the same office may carpool or travel together on business and experience company outings; however, remote employees may not get access to that privilege.

Set up coffee meetings, where team members each go to a coffee shop near their location and connect online for updates or scrums. Send gift cards to each person, and the team is sure to feel appreciated as they brainstorm over their cup of Joe, outside the home office.

5) Virtual Team Building

65% of remote employees report that they have never had a team building session. TeamBonding’s virtual team building activities simulate a day in the life of a virtual team. From conference call meetings to email agendas, virtual work teams must work together, though physically apart, to reach the goals.

Each virtual team building game is targeted towards increasing virtual team collaboration and communication. The program also includes team building icebreakers that are designed to facilitate relationships and bonds within your virtual team.

What challenges are you facing with managing remote employees online?

How do you keep your virtual team engaged? Are there any other virtual team building activities you’d add to this list?

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/5-team-bondingtips-for-remote-employees/Meet the Team: Andrewhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/FBDu33Gozkg/
https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-andrew/#respondWed, 06 Feb 2019 15:01:20 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=30720In this series of articles, we take five minutes to chat with a member of the TeamBonding team so you can get an idea of the sort of people we are.

The most important thing in life is:

What are the top three things on your bucket list?

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-andrew/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-andrew/Meet the Team: Angelahttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/dhuKMvOu4vY/
https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-angela/#respondMon, 04 Feb 2019 21:03:32 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=30724In this series of articles, we take five minutes to chat with a member of the TeamBonding team so you can get an idea of the sort of people we are.

]]>In this series of articles, we take five minutes to chat with a member of the TeamBonding team so you can get an idea of the sort of people we are.
In this installment we talked to Angela, our Corporate Event Coordinator, about her biggest fear, what she can’t live without and more.

How long have you been with TeamBonding?

3 months and counting

What do you do with your free time?

Reading books, puzzles and spending time with my dog – Zeus.

What is your favorite place in the world to be?

Bermuda

What is the #1 most played song on your iPod?

Kehlani – Alive

What is your favorite food?

My mother’s spaghetti & meatballs.

The most important thing in life is:

Family

What are the top three things on your bucket list?

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-angela/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-angela/Meet the Team: Melissahttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/PnAtgTy6Ats/
https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-melissa/#respondMon, 04 Feb 2019 20:52:50 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=30718In this series of articles, we take five minutes to chat with a member of the TeamBonding team so you can get an idea of the sort of people we are.

]]>In this series of articles, we take five minutes to chat with a member of the TeamBonding team so you can get an idea of the sort of people we are.

In this installment we talked to Melissa, our Event Coordinator, about her favorite place to be, advice for her younger self and more.

How long have you been with TeamBonding?

Since January 2018

What do you do in your spare time?

I am actively involved in a local theater group that produces three main stage shows per year.

What is your favorite place in the world to be?

On my couch, under a fuzzy blanket, with my cup of tea, and my cat on my lap or at my feet.

What advice would you give your younger self?

You know what you are doing! Trust your instincts.

Describe yourself in three words:

Kind, honest and caring.

Something people may not know about you:

I am a huge history nerd. I will become interested in a certain era in history and I will then read everything I can find about it. I could probably be able to tell you almost anything about the Romanov’s.

The most important thing in life is:

Family is the most important thing in my life. Without them, I would be lost!

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-melissa/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-melissa/Meet the Team: Samhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/rHwbkrEYd2o/
https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-sam/#respondMon, 04 Feb 2019 20:14:36 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=30713In this series of articles, we take five minutes to chat with a member of the TeamBonding team so you can get an idea of the sort of people we are.

What is your favorite place in the world to be?

What advice would you give your younger self?

The most important thing in life is:

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-sam/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-sam/Meet the Team: Lindahttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/BY_lp8Nx6DQ/
https://www.teambonding.com/meet-the-team-linda/#respondMon, 04 Feb 2019 20:05:22 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=30237In this series of articles, we take five minutes to chat with a member of the TeamBonding team so you can get an idea of the sort of people we are.